Day 4: Marin

by Zach on April 28, 2014

Getting past San Francisco felt a bit like a game of Frogger, hopping across railroad tracks and highway interchanges, hoping not to get squashed by the oncoming traffic. Reaching Marin County, north of the Golden Gate Bridge, things have slowed waaaay down, thank goodness. Early this morning after leaving Muir Beach, a bobcat scampered silently down the trail in front of me — I’m not in Palo Alto anymore!

Now that I can hear myself think again, I thought I should tell my few followers a little more about what this trek is all about.

Looking back across the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Headlands.

The RulesMy trip from Stanford University to Hobbit Hole, Alaska, must be completed under my own power. I can accept rides to a place to stay or other exciting stuff, provided that I get dropped off right back where I started from. The only exceptions to this are: 1) a few bays where I will catch boat rides across the mouth, to avoid a long and painful inland diversion along Highway 1 — such as Tomales Bay, which is coming up soon; 2) I will have a small sail with me on my kayak trip, so that on the rare days with stiff southerly winds, I can harness a little help.

The GoalMy goal on this trek is easily stated, not so easily achieved. I’m searching for that one visionary person who can help us purchase the Hobbit Hole and bring Inian Islands Institute to life. I believe we have a good story to tell now, with this amazing property and the successful course we ran there last summer. We can offer this person a life-long connection to this one-of-a-kind place and the bright students going through the program, retreats and salmon fishing trips with their family, and the satisfaction of having put this special place in good hands, protecting it for a good purpose long into the future. And so, my feeble attempt at reaching that goal, I’ve been putting flyers in mailboxes (hopefully the cops won’t hunt me down for soliciting!) and handing out III cards along the trail. The folks I pass seem pretty interested (you’re doing what?!?). Down the road, I hope to give some presentations in coastal communities along the way.

Oh, Shit.

The ItineraryThe whole trip is around 2000 miles. I believe I’ll reach the Oregon border by late May, the Washington border by mid-June, Port Angeles, WA by late June, starting the kayak trip at the beginning of July and reaching the Hobbit Hole by early September. These are really no more than rough guesses based on what people have done before. I’m solo, which should make me a bit faster, but I’m also going to make stops for visits and presentations, which will slow me down a bit. A sign I passed yesterday finally brought home the gravity of this trip: Oregon border — 482 miles.
One step at a time!

**********

Sending love out to Dawn, a sweet lady I met this morning on the Dipsea trail! Dawn told me a story I’d never heard before: she has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail twice, and over and over again each day, she put her pack on with her right arm. Over time, her right clavicle bone popped right out of place, and there’s no putting it back. Dawn, I promise to be ambidextrous with my pack on this hike!

Zach — I just received the book you sent me in response to my donation a few weeks ago — Thanks much; I wasn’t expecting anything in return for the donation, but will enjoy the book. Sorry to hear about the cops hassling you in Silicon Valley – apparently not a rare event.

Good luck on your trek — I hope you find the “buyer” you’re looking for.

Thanks for checking us out!

The entire Inian Islands Institute team thanks you for your interest! If you are interesting in helping us out with a donation, please click the link on the right-hand side of the Menu Bar above. Anything you can offer is very much welcomed and appreciated.